Sincerely Hope It's You
by LeeLee777
Summary: Can tragedy bring hope? A 9/11 piece


_**Warning: This is a work of realistic fiction. In no way do I intend to offend or hurt anyone directly or indirectly involved or affected by the attacks on 9/11. As some others have, I only wish to show the power of a relationship in the face of such tragedy. It may be 7 years later, but the devastation still beats in all of our hearts. Consider this my tribute to all those, survived and lost, on that tragic day.**_

**Sincerely Hope It's You**

Chaos swirled around her. The horror of the things she had witnessed over the last ten minutes wasn't something she could even process yet. Her body and mind were in a haze, involuntarily responding to her years of crisis management on the street. The voices, the screams of terror all melded together until they were drowned out by the sound of her own blood pumping furiously through her veins.

Several officers who were in uniform, doing the same thing she was, had attempted to evacuate her. A quick flash of the badge dangling around her neck sent them off into the crowd once more. Faith wasn't quite sure if she was even helping. Sending the frightened people in the right direction was the only course of action she could see to take. The men and women soon became a blur, turning into a sea of business suits and briefcases. And she suddenly felt alone.

No amount of training could prepare him for what he was witnessing. He tried furiously to get the images of what he had seen out of his head. He tried forcing himself not to look up, not to face the horror of what was happening hundreds of feet above him. Every now and then he would catch someone frozen in time, staring straight up. Such shock was present that he would look to where they were, as if he didn't already know something horribly tragic was taking place. Just as quickly he would refocus, knowing he had to help, wondering deep down if he was actually having an effect.

Normally, Bosco would have a fit if people continuously knocked into him the way they were doing now. But nothing about these moments were normal. Nothing was okay, and he didn't know if it would be. He ached for something, anything to show him that it would be okay. Then he saw her. It was as if the crowd had parted for him in the exact moment he needed it to. She was directing people, just as he was. She suddenly stopped moving, she too seemed frozen. It was only for a moment, but he saw every bit of what he was feeling etched on her face. The heartache, the pain, the despair…the fear.

_Look at me Faith, I'm here._

And she did.

An overwhelming feeling took over her body. It rose above the fear and the pain. As she turned her head she found out why. He was there. She knew he would be. Her eyes locked with his and they spoke.

_It's going to be okay Bos…_

_I know…._

That one small moment was all either of them needed. They were both reassured and a new found surge of energy took over. They weren't alone in this crowd anymore. They each continued in their effort to get people to safety.

"Officer!!! Please!" Faith felt a strong grip on her arm before she heard the strangled voice behind her. She spun around and found a young woman, no more than 25 with tears streaming down her face.

"There's a lady hurt in the stairwell…she's got a kid with her….she won't move!"

"A'right…you go..I'll get her…go!" Faith pushed the woman in same direction the others were going in. She looked around for a firefighter, someone to help her get this injured woman and her kid out of there and to safety, but every uniform she could see was helping other people. She ran towards the stairwell, the crowd thinning out. A good sign she thought, it must have meant most of the building was evacuated.

Bosco looked to where Faith had been standing only moments ago, she was gone. Panic set in. He needed to see her, to keep her in his sight. He jumped above the crowd, trying desperately to catch a glimpse of her. He saw the glint of her badge before he saw her face. She was heading into the building. Why was she going in? He tried to get to her, but going against the crowd was not as easy as he thought it would be. He quickly got caught up in it as she vanished into the building.

As Faith reached the stairwell she could hear people yelling. She came upon a small group of people gathered around the injured woman, pleading with her to let them help her. She was hysterical, ash covering most of her face. A small cut was above her eye, and a large gash in her leg. She was sitting on the floor, rocking a small child in her arms.

"Ma'am we have to get out of here…" The woman cried and clutched her child tighter as Faith reached for her. Faith bent down to her level and forced the woman's head up with her hand.

"Ma'am, I'm NYPD.." She lifted her badge to prove it to the woman. "…Give me you daughter…"

"Noo!" The woman cried furiously.

"Ma'am please…We have to go, now...these men are gonna help you…" She motioned towards the two men standing behind her in the stairwell. "…I'll take your daughter a'right?" Faith reached for the little girl and the woman let her grip go a little.

"It's a'right…I promise…please…" Faith locked eyes with the woman and she slowly nodded and handed her the little girl. The two men quickly bent down and lifted the woman up. She turned back around as Faith stood, holding the girl tight.

"I'm right behind you" The men carried the woman out but as Faith followed towards the buildings exit someone bumped into her, running into the stairwell. Faith grabbed the man's arm.

"Hey!! You can't go up there…the building is being evacuated"

"My wife was on the 86th floor…I have to get to her!" He wrestled out of Faith's firm grip.

"You can't!!! Sir please!!!!" It was too late, he was gone up the stairs. Faith would have gone after him but she had this child in her arms. She would go back, she thought. She would get the little girl to safety and then go back for the man.

That's when she heard it. A rumbling. It almost sounded like 100 subway cars pulling into the same station at the same time. She saw firefighters frantically trying to get the remaining people in the lobby out of the building. She didn't know what the sound was but she knew it in the pit of her stomach that is was more devastation coming to claim whoever was left. Instinct kicked in and she ran. She ran like the devil was chasing her.

As she ran she could see a shower of what looked like ash and dirt falling outside. And as she reached the exit she covered the child's head and disappeared into it all.

Bosco heard it too. Louder screams arose from around him and people started running. When he looked up in the direction of the sound he felt his heart fall to his knees. All he could think was that she had gone in there. He wasn't even sure if any sound came from him as he yelled.

"Faith!!!!!"

He felt himself being pulled backward. He fought against it. He saw a flash of blue out of the corner of his eye. It was another officer, practically carrying him away from the scene. He was shoved into a doorway and covered as he cried for his friend.

It felt like hours before the dust began to clear, before you could even see your own hand in front of your face. Bosco finally felt the weight of the office lift from him. His tears were now only streaks left in the caked up dust on his face. The walked from the small deli they had sought refuge in and back towards what remained.

Very quickly, the area began filling up with ambulances and paramedics. All around him were faces like his. They were all the same. The same empty look lived in all of their eyes. Bosco walked through the streets. He began to see uniforms, some being tended to by the medics, some sitting on the curbs. He began to hope, if they had made it out then she could have. His eyes darted frantically around. He moved faster through the streets, the adrenaline returning to his body. Then he saw her.

She was covered from head to toe in dust. A crying child clung tightly to Faith's body as a medic tried to take her away. He watched frozen as Faith coaxed the child onto the back of the bus. He swallowed the heavy lump in his throat as she stepped back and pushed the hair from her face. He could see blood coating her hands as she lifted them. And then she turned in his direction.

The adrenaline she had while running for her life was now gone, leaving her body feeling every ounce of despair. She felt the bile turning in her stomach as she thought of what had almost been. As she reached a shaky hand to move the hair from her face she saw him out of the corner of her eye.

He walked toward her, watching as the courageous façade literally fell away from her body. He could see her breaths grow shorter as she desperately tried to hold it all in. He felt his own heart pound rapidly in his chest.

She willed her feet to move, to go towards him, but for some reason she couldn't budge. She felt the tears rise from the depth of her soul and gather in her eyes. She pushed them down. Needing to remain strong, for him, for them all. But as he reached her, all her resolve fell away.

As he got closer he could see the blood on her face, covered by dust. The tears threatening to spill out over her cheeks. He could see her body begin to tremble as he reached her.

They didn't need any words. They were the partners who could speak without speaking. And in that moment that's all they needed. The tears fell for both of them and as his hand touched her arm, pulling her toward him, she grabbed for him. Her body shook with sobs as she clung to his shirt. His own tears spilled onto her denim jacket, soaking the collar as he held tightly onto her.

The world didn't exist in that moment. They both knew what they had to face when they would finally let go of each other. For now they would allow themselves to be grateful. Grateful to be alive, grateful to have one another. Because in the face of tragedy, that's all you can hope for.


End file.
